The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Amaryllis plant, botanically known as Hippeastrum hybrid and referred to by the cultivar name Rio.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new Amaryllis cultivars with novel flower coloration patterns and fragrance.
The new Amaryllis originated from a cross made by the Inventor in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., of an unidentified proprietary selection of the interspecific cross Hippeastrum papilioxc3x97Hippeastrum ambiguum xe2x80x98Tweedianumxe2x80x99 (not patented), as the female, or seed, parent with the Hippeastrum hybrid cultivar Dutch Belle (not patented), as the male, or pollen, parent.
The cultivar Rio was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 1994. The selection of this new Amaryllis plant was based on its unique flower coloration pattern.
Plants of the new Amaryllis differ from plants of the female parent in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Amaryllis have red purple petals and sepals with median silvery pink keels whereas plants of the female parent have red on a green background petals and sepals.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Amaryllis are much larger with broader petals and sepals than flowers of plants of the female parent.
3. Plants of the new Amaryllis have shorter scapes than plants of the female parent.
Plants of the new Amaryllis differ from plants of the male parent in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Amaryllis have red purple petals and sepals with median silvery pink keels whereas plants of the male parent have solid red purple petals and sepals.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Amaryllis are intensely fragrant whereas flowers of plants of the male parent are only mildly fragrant.
3. Plants of the new Amaryllis have shorter and darker green leaves than plants of the male parent.
4. Plants of the new Amaryllis are more resistant to Red Scorch Fungus (Staganospora curtisii) than plants of the male parent.
5. Plants of the new Amaryllis are more high temperature tolerant than plants of the male parent.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by twin-scale cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has shown that the unique features of this new Amaryllis are stabel and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Rio has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Rioxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Rioxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Flowers of plants of the new Amaryllis have red purple petals and sepals with median silvery pink keels.
2. Flowers of plants of the new Amaryllis are intensely fragrant.
3. Plants of the new Amaryllis are resistant to Red Scorch Fungus, Staganospora curtisii. 
4. Plants of the new Amaryllis have exhibited excellent high temperature tolerance.